Plating at Home

[Curti]

I would like to plate small steel carburetor parts at home,  with something that gives the appearance of clear cadmium.  Eastwood sells a gallon of electrolyte for $46 and an (1) anode of tin/zinc for $12. + shipping

  I do have a variable rectifier which have used successfully in the past .  Are there products that can be purchased locally at a good hardware store  more reasonably?

[Bloo]

You can plate with zinc and ordinary household stuff. The solution is vinegar, epsom salt, and sugar or something similar. You also need some zinc and a power supply. An old trim tab off of a boat can supply the zinc. I made my solution long enough ago I don't recall what is in mine exactly, but there are several how-tos online. Here is one. https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?14392-DIY-Zinc-Plating-for-Donor-Nuts-and-Bolts The plating is fairly thin, and generally not show quality, but helps with rust prevention.

 

If you fiddle around and babysit it, you CAN get good looking results, but if you are doing this for appearance you'll need to buy a real kit, and deal with handling more dangerous chemicals (I'm guessing cyanide). I doubt you will find anything like that in a hardware store.

 

Here is a rusty sending unit. It was disassembled and the steel parts put in an electrolytic derusting bath. That is just washing soda, a power supply and a sacrificial piece of steel. Look up "electrolytic derusting" if you are not already familiar. It leaves the parts squeaky clean, but with the rough texture left behind when the rust is gone. Left alone, it would re-rust almost immediately. Enter the zinc. The second pic is of the zinc bath. The third is some of the plated parts. No, the corks and washers were not on there during the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Curti]

Good information,  thanks Bloo !